Exactly.

Jeff, while I appreciate the insightful public messages you have posted on the forum, you honestly shouldn't expect a return from it.

The old saying, you don't give to receive. Take the moderators of the forum here for example. The time they spend on this forum is free of charge. There is no incentive for any of them to keep doing what they are doing (good or bad).

While "thank you's" and other forms of appreciation are nice, I wouldn't count or depend on receiving it. The "appreciation" should come from within knowing you are helping someone who obviously needs help if they are asking.

 

I bought an IC and duct from Jeff.
He was helpful and I know I thanked him.
But he does have a good point. Member should be more thankful. I have learned a lot from this forum.

 

I don't get near the PM traffic; maybe a few a week from people other than friends in my area. I don't mind trying to help as long as someone is making some effort to help themselves. I don't believe in giving free handouts to the needy But if someone has a thoughtful question or problem I will try to help and they are normally polite and friendly; I try to be the same way when dealing one on one.

People who post or PM and just say "My car is broke, what's wrong?" I tend to ignore. There's a difference between being "new" and inexperienced and just being plain lazy. Lazy people don't make the effort to help themselves. If you're not smart enough to figure out how to investigate a problem by searching on this board you are more than likely not smart enough to understand the troubleshooting advice I would give anyway. I don't bother with those.

Every once in a while I get surprised. teeter contacted me recently and sold me his turbo oil supply lines for the cost of shipping because he knew I was looking to build new ss lines for mine and had asked some questions. He told me it was in gratitude for my posts on this board. So to him, thanks.

There's plenty of people around who know what they are talking about and there's plenty of people who only know what they are told. If you know the difference this board is a great tool and I look up topics all the time. If someone has done a project I'm getting ready to do I may as well see what his experiences were so I can be more aware or adjust my gameplan.

I'll be the first to say I don't know everything and when I don't know I will either be quiet or I will ask questions. I think many times people are too quick to offer advice when the best option is to do nothing; don't be confusing. I'm never afraid to change my mind but will only do so based on facts, I don't do it just because most people disagree or because someone is screaming. I don't turn into an insistent @ss unless I know I'm right

 

Just give bad or cryptic advice, and everyone will stop asking... maybe the mods can help you set up a few automated responses based on the subject line of the PM:

Subject: How come my car isn't working?
Response: Just go non-sequential! -Jeff

Subject: What wheels will fit my car?
Response: Ask Manny. -Jeff

Subject: Whats the best body kit?
Response: Go for the Veilside, it's dope! -Jeff

Subject: How many mods can I do before I have to buy a PFC?
Response: How many spare engines can you afford to buy from me? -Jeff

 

having to ask for a "thank you" is not a thank you at all. i have had many detailed replies to people who ask me stuff and no thanks or anything of the sort and know exactly what Jeff is saying. i feel for you man.
the best part is when the people you try to help come back pissed at you and mad becasue your reply was not what they wanted to hear. they wanted to hear "your motor is fine" , "you are the best ever" , "the fix will run you $2.50 plus sales tax" ...

 

Then there's that keith guy. He don't even know which end of a screwdriver to hold

 

hehe hell! LOL

 

perhaps everytime someone asks you a question that hasnt really been touched on specifically you should make a thread with the answer so everyone can see it and hopefully not ask. eventually a the threads that are the more useful ones would be copied as stickies into some sort of massive faq sub forum with sub sub forums, etc. that would serve as a sort of online textbook...

i know the search would serve the same purpose but that would be much easier if its organized because a lot of times the search gives you so many useless results that i think it turns off a lot of the lazier people. charge people $5/mo to access it or they could use the search for free. i bet you would get lots of paying members.

i usually just use search for hours to find answers. that way i can get lots of viewpoints and opinions on one thing and then i can try to decide which one is the wiser. many times a thread with potential goes nowhere as people argue about something like whether the 7 can lose or whatever.

im still a noob and even im tired of threads about 99 spec turbos and the price of a three rotor "swap"

 

i have a small problem, can i PM you?

 

I'm surprised you have persevered as long as you have. Most of the well respected veterans like you with solid experience and learned advice gave up long before you did. I can't compare myself with you, but I understand exactly what you are saying.

Most of the members on the forum now just don't get it. Even the moderators, like Mahjik's response above shows, don't seem to get it. Satisfaction in helping others has a lot to do with how you are treated, it's only human nature. IMHO how members treat each other on this forum is on a rapidly decending slide.

 

I feel your pain too. Although I don't post much and don't have the time I once did to manage my site I still get people PMing and e-mailing me questions I'm not thanked for answering. The kicker is that they often say something like "I read you webpage/post on X modification and have a few questions." They then proceed to ask questions that were answered in what they just said they read.

 

Jeff, grumpy? Never seen it before.
Must be raining in Oregon, Rx number 14 is pushing oil, and the mother-in-law invited him up for the weekend.

Knowledgable, helpful, and straightforward dude.

Thanks.

(I will reply if YOU pm.)

 

I get it.

I just don't help others just to receive praise. I offer what help I can because I decide to. I don't expect anything in return. If someone thanks me for the assistance, they are a better person for doing so.

 

Hey Jeff thanks for all your help man!! I'm sorry I never got back to you on the parts that you had kindly offered, and maybe didn't thank you on the phone, its just that I haven't figured out yet what parts I needed. I'm restoring the 7 as a slow, slow, project with lots of learning involved, and I'm completely polishing up the engine bay. I didn't realize that you do actually know your $hit maybe that's why so many people pm you. I would be delighted to be thought of as a person who people could seek advice in, it just goes to show that the work you have learned doesn't have to stop at you, it can go beyond that, thats just my 2c.

Hey blackfd, don't forget about mahjik he is a good man.

 

See I don't get it. Anyone I've ever asked for car help, be it in a PM, through a post, or in person I've thanked repeatedly and earnestly. I couldn't imagine asking for someones help and not even shooting back a quick "thanks" when they take time to help you. Have people really gotten that lazy and disrespectful?

Mahjik I can see what you're saying. You help people because you can and because you are good person. You don't really expect them to say thanks, but you appreciate it if they do. But you don't help on the condition that you get thanked for it. It should be a given though, we should be grateful to those senior members who advise us noobs.

 

we should hide post counts, i think that's what attracts newbs to the PM button

yes, mahjik

his patience and consistency is inspiring

 

I have mixed feelings on that one. For instance you and I have very similar post counts, but I know you know a hell of a lot more about FDs than I do. Take a look at people like clayne. His post count is not nearly as high as some of the vets on the board, but he knows a ton of everything about everything.

At the same time, anyone with 1000+ posts it seems is revered by newbs. I don't know, I don't get many PMs cus I spend my time asking questions, which makes people think I don't know anything You should try it sometime.

 

yeah I don't think you get my gripe.

When your Grandma gives you a b-day present she doesn't do it for the "thank you" but it sure makes old granny feel good if you can spit the words out.

Like I said, I don't expect anything from public threads, I'm referring to PMs only...

 

Jeff, I do get it.

Offering advice/help whether through PM or public is the same. You are offering your knowledge to help an individual (or group of individuals). Even in public, you are responding to a specific problem posted by a specific person.

I get many PM's as well. I try to answer as many as I can or forward them to people who have delt with that area which pertains to their questions.

PM's are just like normal messages except for the fact that not everyone can view them. However, just like public messages, you have a "choice" whether to respond or not.

 

Oh GOODNESSS..

Some of you guys sound worse than a Fat girl
sitting at home on Prom night..
Geesus, get over it for, crying out loud.

First of all 99% of us are GUYS and GUYS will be GUYS.
If you need your EGO stroked, Go to WWW. Barbie.com.

2nd of all. Come on now.. NONE of us were born with
FD knowledge from the WOMB.. WE All learned one way
or another.. and The best way to Learn is to ASK..
If you are bothered by PM's and etc.. " HIT the DELETE BUTTON". FYI.. Every 5-6 months. all the info are all
recycled anyways..

3rd of all, you guys say SearchSearch Search..
OK thats COOL. BUT sometimes it, what you are looking
for isn't there. Tehre are different scenarios and etc.
And Reading thru 200 Threads to answer a simple question. is assinine..

4th of all. Majik.. Wasn't it you like 3 years ago.
Claiming to race, but not race and raced but never
would shift out of 5th gear?? and Didn't race because
you only had 1/4 tank of gas and so on?? Don't
give that crap about " We moderators come here
and invest all this time for nothing and etc ".
Be real you would be h ere if you were or were not
moderators.. and everyone knows. all you guys
love that GOD syndrome when on this site..

Just my 2 cents...

tata

 

There was a discussion a few years back about shift points and power ranges doing highway pulls (if that's the discussion you were thinking about). However, it had nothing to do with 5th gear or absolutely nothing to do with gas.

Hmmm, that's unfortunately not the case. The "ADMINS" have the "GOD" power as you like the call it. The moderators are the "SHEPHARDS".

 

Is tata suppose to be a guy over the age of 13? You have permission to be on the internet little one?

 

unfortunately, post and attitudes like this are what I think causes the majority of grief and frustrations by the mods.

Slingshotrx7, so you want your cake and eat it to? From your post you expect the mods to PM people with there specific answers on reduntant questions but not even have a simple thank you??

For me that isn't about egos but common courtesy. I'm not sure how you were raised but that's what I was taught with respect to others.

and about learning is asking. I don't think that is true. You build your knowledge by studying and learning. You ask questions on the parts that you don't understand.

Imagine in my field of medicine and a new doctor learning how to take out an appendix. Would you rather this newbie doctor go into his first surgery and ask the senior doctor every single step as he is doing it live? Or would you rather him read and study on it first before proceeding?

my 2 cents....

 

Well,

I've been on this forum for years now, but I'm still a newbee. I'm not knowledgable at all. So, I hope every vet members will decide to stay around.

I too don't like helping people w/o appriciation. I think that's the way my parents raise me....thank one who helps you. So, when I ever pm or post a thread asking about something, I always thanks everyone in advance to answer my pm or thread. You see, if they are gonna trouble answer my Q, they give up their time and afford to do it. And, I really appriciate. So, if I were to be on the other side, I'd not be very happy not to get just words 'thank you'.

TurboJeff, I don't know you personally, but have seen a lot of your posts in those thread that I read. You've contribute so much to this community and I appriciate that. And, I know there are more people appriciate you being around. For those ungraceful people who don't thank yo uin pm, put them on your ignor list and be done w/ them. Don't just separate all others good people from your valuable knowledge.

Mahjik, do you remember I once posted that I thank you for posting links to answer Q's for some members w/o any ****? And, you're saying you're helping people w/o needing any gratitude from them. Man, you're BIG! And, I though I was raised well.

POM HB

 

Damn, Doc, I wouldn't have wasted my precious time replying to anything Mr. Slingshot wrote--you're a better than man than me, 7racer